A QUESTION OF INTENTION
by Corellian Maid
Summary: After the destruction of the DEATH STAR, General Rieekan wonders why Han Solo is still with them. He wants answers...and he gets them.


After the destruction of the Death Star, Rieekan wonders why Han Solo is still with the Rebellion. He wants answers….and he gets them.

A QUESTION OF INTENTION

A young rebel called out to the tall, dark haired man he had been searching for throughout the halls of Yavin Base. The effort had not been easy, as the man in question moved with quick purpose, but eventually, he caught up with him.

"Captain Solo."

At the summons, Han paused and turned to the person who had called. "Yeah?

"I've been looking all over for you." The out of breath rebel remarked as he drew alongside the Corellian smuggler, glad he had finally stopped.

"Well, now you've found me…what do you want?"

A slight blush of surprise flashed over the young man's face. He hadn't expected such abruptness from one of the Alliance's newly decorated heroes. "Uh…I don't want you…sir.. uh.. General Rieekan wants to see you in the Command Center as soon as possible."

Han muttered an impatient curse under his breath as he absently adjusted the fit of the strapped holster against his right thigh. The resultant creak of leather was the only sound in the hallway as the soldier waited for a response.

"All right." Han finally…reluctantly…agreed. He had no particular love for military hierarchy, even among the rebels, especially one of whom he knew virtually nothing. Not hearing the messenger's grateful 'thanks', he turned and headed down the corridor which would take him to the Command Center.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&]

Han's sharp rap on the office door brought an immediate acknowledgment. "Come in." Rieekan's gravelly voice was unmistakable.

"You wanted to see me, General?" The smuggler asked as he shut the door behind himself.

"Ah, Captain Solo." the General greeted, closing a file drawer. "Yes, I did. Please.." he gestured toward a chair, "..have a seat." Han did as requested; the graying man then settled himself behind a cluttered desk. "I have something here I think you have a right to see." He said as he withdrew a data hardcopy from a folder.

With a puzzled frown, Han took the offered papers and began scanning them. Rieekan remained silent while he read, watching the play of different emotions across the younger man's features: shock, amusement, surprise, anger.

Predictably, the pilot jumped angrily to his feet, not finishing reading the rest of the report, but

slamming it down on the desk. "What the hell do you mean, checking me out?!" He demanded. I thought I had my tracks pretty well covered."

"You did. Rieekan admitted. "It took a lot of digging for me to get all that."

The admission did nothing to placate the Corellian. There're enough charges in that report to have me executed four times, if I'm turned over to the authorities!" He paced off his anger, circling the perimeter of the room like a cornered see-tar. He felt exposed, not in control of the situation…betrayed….again.

Rieekan waited for the man's anger to subside, knowing that only then would a rational conversation be possible.

"Is this how you treat people who help your…rebellion?" Han went on. "Just a few days ago your high and mighty Princess…" Han waved an arm in a wide sweep, indicating the presence of Senator Organa somewhere on the base... ."gave me a Metal of Honor , and now you show me all this evidence you dug up against me. Well….let me tell YOU something….General." He spat the word with all the contempt he'd ever felt for any authority. "Hell and Hoth will change climates before I EVER help you people again!"

Rieekan retrieved the papers. "You've come to a mistaken conclusion, Captain." He nodded toward the chair, an unspoken invitation for the Corellian to take his seat again. Han hesitated before resettling in the chair. "If you'll think about it," Rieekan continued in explaination, "you'll realize that the Alliance is in much the same position as you: outlaws, outcasts by some societies and sought after by those very same authorities to which you refer. We'd gain nothing by handing you over to them. That wasn't the purpose for this information check."

"What was?" Han questioned skeptically.

"Security reasons. We didn't really know who you were or anything about you. You could have been planted by the Imperial Forces or even the Emperor himself. That blood stripe you wear certainly attests to the fact of your past military association."

Anger was still readable on Han's face. "How in the name of all the curses of Ka'mon could you think I was an Imperial spy when I helped Luke blow that DEATH STAR into a million pieces? If I was working for the Emperor, he wouldn't be too happy with me for helping the rebels kill a lot of his officers….a lot of high ranking ones, I'll bet."

Rieekan gave a short, non-patronizing laugh. "You know military strategy; your record shows it. You must know that this wouldn't be the first time an agent destroyed some of his own installations…and people,.,.. to convince an opponent of his sincerity, or to preserve his cover. What better way is there to infiltrate the enemy ranks than to help him pull off a difficult attack? What's the saying, 'the sacrifice of the few for the cause of the many'?".

"Something like that." Han agreed, still suspicious and plainly hurt.

The general drew a deep breath before speaking again, he gazed at the younger man with a wise and knowing eye. "Besides," Rieekan continued frankly, "you would've done the same thing, were our positions reversed. Would you have thought any more …or less..of us if we hadn't bothered to run the check, and had accepted you, a total stranger, on your word alone?  
Han smiled in spite of himself and raised a hand to his lips. Apparently Rieekan knew more about him than the facts in that report revealed. "No." He admitted, relaxing. "I wouldn't've."

Pleased with the concession, the officer flipped through the printout. "Let's go over some of this." He suggested, scanning the papers and drawing out various pertinent bits of information. "Your schooling and military training are among the best I've ever seen. You're from a well-known and highly respected Corellian family….." Rieekan raised his eyes to Han… "Han Solo isn't your real name." Han winced at that. "You were engaged to be married. You commanded quite a few missions and acquired several decorations, including the Mark of Excellence."

Rieekan laid the papers on the desk, sitting back in his chair. "Quite an accomplishment for one of Jabba the Hutt's spice smugglers." Another unbidden smile played over Han's lips. "It's unfortunate your military career ended the way it did; with false charges and a court-martial. You had quite a future to look forward to. Betrayal by the ones you serve and trust can leave scars that won't be healed by time alone."

Silence shrouded the room as Rieekan looked down at the report again which detailed Han's more recent exploits in the smuggler's underworld. "I'm surprised you chose to deal with the Hutt." He commented.

"A guy has to make a living." Solo mused idly.

Rieekan faced the young man before him with honest, objective appraisal. "When I said it was unfortunate your military career ended as it did, I meant it was unfortunate for the Empire. They obviously don't recognize talent when they see it. You've got character Solo, and a lot of fine qualities you can't hide under those scruffy deck clothes and that intimidating blaster. We could use a man like you."

His bluntness surprised Han almost as much as his commendations. For a while, the Corellian didn't know what to say. "General.." He began, "…I've got a lot of garbage behind me to take care of, most of it worse'n that report of yours makes it. You've got enough trouble staying one jump ahead of Vader and his troopers without adding the risk of being tracked down by any number of bounty hunters or military police out for my hide."

Rieekan was undaunted. "It's a standing offer." He said as he rose to his feet. "We have a position for you when you're ready to accept it. We may be idealistic…some of us a little too much so…but we know enough to appreciate genuine leadership potential when we see it." He smiled crookedly. "Even Princess Leia would be quite impressed with your qualifications."

"You mean, she doesn't know about any of this?" Han was quite surprised.

Rieekan shook his head. "Only that a security check was run and that you were cleared."

"Did she order it?"

"No. I took that responsibility on myself. Only you and I know the results."

"And what if I hadn't been cleared?" Han asked, rising from the chair and facing the General squarely.

Rieekan smiled. "Then those four executions you mentioned would've already taken place. We wouldn't be having this conversation."

For a moment, both men were silent.

Han finally spoke. "I'd rather Leia didn't know about my past," He said, 'not now."

The older man's brows arched. "That's not a request many men with your abilities…and reputation…would make."

The pilot shrugged modestly. "Let's just say I want her Royalness to know me as I am now; a smuggler.

"It will go no further, then." Rieekan assured him as he handed him the printout. Han took the papers and, under the General's approving eye, ripped them to shreds.


End file.
